55.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Pride and patriotism
Waterfront Warriors welcome soldiers at fourth annual parade
Thirty-two wounded soldiers from different branches of the armed services and their families marched in the fourth annual Long Beach Waterfront Warriors welcome parade on Sunday, July 22, as hundreds of residents, filled with patriotism and pride, lined the streets.
The parade began at Ohio Avenue and W. Beech Street at 3 p.m., followed by a barbeque at the Long Beach Catholic Regional School.
“This is phenomenal,” said U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes. “When I went home [to Jacksonville, F.L.], I didn’t get this kind of welcome. You guys are so happy to see us and it’s really, really cool. I’ve never been in a city or state that’s been as patriotic.”
Hayes, 31, served several deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan as an explosive ordinance disposal specialist, where he would check and dispose of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Hayes said he was injured on Dec. 28, 2010 when he went to check out the scene for IEDs and stepped on a bomb, Hayes lost both of his legs, left ring finger and tissue from his forearms in the blast.
“I look back at that time and I tell my wife, Janel, that was the worst time in my life, hands down,” Hayes said, adding that he has undergone over 60 surgeries and has about 10 more to go. “Every other day, no matter how bad today sucks pain-wise, or what you have going on, it has to be better than that day. It’s all how you look at things. If I hadn’t gotten hurt, we wouldn’t have come here.”
It is because of injuries that Hayes endured while fighting for his country that the Long Beach Waterfront Warriors host the event every year. The organization is made up of a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting wounded and injured soldiers and their families. The non-profit organization was formed in 2009 to provide veterans and their families relaxing vacations in Long Beach.
This is the fourth year that the organization has hosted the soldiers. Their stay kicked off with a 5K race on Sunday, followed by the welcome parade, beginning on Ohio Avenue and winding east down Beech Street. The parade included members of the FNDY Fire Riders, the Long Beach Fire and Police Department, and the city's veterans organizations, among others.
